play therapy techniques in early childhood settings · 3/21/2018 2 overview the impact of early...
TRANSCRIPT
3/21/2018
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Play Therapy Techniques in Early Childhood Settings
Supporting Social-Emotional Learning
and Self-Regulation
Christian Bellissimo, MSW, LCSW, RPT, LLCwww.christianbellissimo.com
“You don’t need to be a therapist to be therapeutic.”
Neal Horen, MD Georgetown University Hospital
The play therapy skills presented today, when used with consistency, can help a child:
•develop a secure relationship with adults
•develop emotional regulation skills
• express thoughts and feelings in developmentally appropriate ways
•develop internal locus of control
• attain developmentally appropriate self-help skills
•Become more confident and empowered
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Overview
The impact of early adversity on young children.
Play Therapy techniques for teachers to use in the early childhood classroom.
The basics of brain development
The Child’s Developing Brain
“Bottom-Up / Inside-Out”BIRTH
ADULT
Fight, flight, freeze
“Am I safe?”
Emotional Regulation
“Am I loved?
Executive Function
“What can I learn
from this?”
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By age 4, 80% of the brain’s structures responsible forfuture emotional, behavioral, social, and physiologicalfunctioning, are developed.
80%
Bruce Perry, MDwww.childtrauma.org
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Trauma and Children
One in four children witness or
experience a traumatic event
before the age of 4, and more than
two-thirds by age 16.
neaToday, Winter 2017
Abuse and Neglect by Age: United States, 2015
47%
www.acf.hhs.gov
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ACE Score and Developmental Delays at Three
Frequ
ency o
f Delays
Number of ACEs
https://developingchild.harvard.edu/resources/inbrief-the-impact-of-early-adversity-on-childrens-development/
POLL
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Play Therapy and Early Adversity
Video 1
Play in Preschool Children: What to Look For
Symbolic Play
Goal-direction
Enjoyable
Frustration tolerance
POLL
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The parallels between
Play Therapy
and Early Childhood
“You don’t need to be a therapist to be therapeutic.”
Using play to support children’s emotional development
Supportive adult-child relationships
Building a sense of perceived controlEarly Adverse Experiences
Opportunities to strengthen self-regulatory skills
Building Resilience using Play Therapy Skillshttps://developingchild.harvard.edu/science/key-concepts/resilience/
The Environment
“You don’t need to be a therapist to be therapeutic.”
Using play to support children’s emotional development
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Play Therapy Room
Early Childhood Classroom
The Relationship
“You don’t need to be a therapist to be therapeutic.”
Using play to support children’s emotional development
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The Principles of Child-Centered Play Therapy
2. The therapist must develop a warm, friendlyrelationship with the child, in which good rapport isestablished as soon as possible.
1. The therapist accepts the child exactly as her or she is.
Axline (1976). Play Therapy. Ballantine Books, New York, NY
Play Skill Number One:Build a Relationship
Play Skill Number One:Build a Relationship
Body Language
Down on the child’s level
Open, relaxed posture
Maintain arm’s length
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Play Skill Number One:Build a Relationship
Body Language: Benefits
• Helps build a rapport and supports attachment
• Actively addresses boundaries
The Principles of Child-Centered Play Therapy
3. The therapist does not attempt to direct the child’s actions or conversation. The child leads, the therapist follows.
Axline (1976). Play Therapy. Ballantine Books, New York, NY
Play Skill Number Two:Allow the Child to Lead While Describing Play
Allow the child to self-initiate the play.
Describe the child’s play while avoiding asking questions.
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Play Skill Number Two:Allow the Child to Lead and Describe Play
• Supports developmentally appropriate expression of thoughts and feelings
Allow the Child to Lead: Benefits
Describe the Child’s Play: Benefits
• “Attunement”
• Speech, language, and vocabulary modeling
Play Skill Number Two:Allow the Child to Lead While Describing Play
When a child invites you to participate in their play:
Cooperative role play: What to do
• Seek their direction. Ask what you should do or say.
Allow the Child to Lead and Describe Play(Sea Animals)
Seeking the Child’s Direction(Pretend Eating)
Video 2
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The Principles of Child-Centered Play Therapy
4. The therapist is alert torecognize the feelings thechild is expressing andreflects those feelings backto him in such a mannerthat he gains insight intohis behavior.
Axline (1976). Play Therapy. Ballantine Books, New York, NY
Play Skill Number Three:Name the Child’s Feelings
While playing with the child, name the feelings the child expresses verbally and non-verbally.
Play Skill Number Three:Name the Child’s Feelings
Name the Child’s Feelings: Benefits
• Child learns feelings vocabulary
• Child learns to recognize feelings in self and others
• Co-regulation
• Child learns that feelings are experienced in the body
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Name the Child’s Feelings(Body Language, Frustration, ID through Play)
Video 3
The Principles of Child-Centered Play Therapy
5. The child is given theresponsibility to make choices.
Axline (1976). Play Therapy. Ballantine Books, New York, NY
Play Skill Number Four:Frame the Child’s Play as a Choice or Decision
When the child selects an activity, or an item or action within an activity, acknowledge their choices.
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Play Skill Number Four:Frame the Child’s Play as a Choice or Decision
Benefits
• Supports internal locus of control
• Facilitates free expression of thoughts and feelings
• Supports limit setting
The Principles of Child-Centered Play Therapy
6. The therapist establishes limitations to make the child aware of their responsibility in the relationship.
Axline (1976). Play Therapy. Ballantine Books, New York, NY
Play Skill Number Five:Limit Setting
When the child engages in aprohibited behavior, set a limitutilizing choice giving and anatural consequence.
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Play Skill Number Five:Limit Setting
• Limits provide safety and emotional security
Benefits
• Supports internal locus of control
• Supports problem solving
• Supports self-regulation
• Reduces power struggles
Play Skill Number Five:Limit Setting
• Acknowledge the child’s motivation or feeling
Procedure
• State the limit
• State the consequence
• Praise the child’s choice to self-correct, or enforce the limit
• Provide an alternative (if necessary)
Landreth (1991). Play Therapy, The Art of the Relationship; Accelerated Development, Bristol, PA
Framing Behavior as a Choice, Limit Setting (Markers, Hand, Sand)
Video 4
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Play Skill Number Five:Limit Setting
• Modulate voice and maintain proximity
Tips
• Allow the child to self-correct
• Consequence should involve loss of toy being used or current activity
• Avoid “we” and “ok?”
• Follow through!
Limit Setting Tip:Be preventative!
Establish expectations and reinforce often through specific praise.
POLL
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The Principles of Child-Centered Play Therapy
7. The therapist maintains a deep respect for the child’s ability to solve their own problems if given the opportunity to do so.
Axline (1976). Play Therapy. Ballantine Books, New York, NY
Play Skill Number Six:Support Independence and Self- Regulation
through Challenging Tasks
When the child is presented with a challenging task:
• Name the child’s feeling (co-regulation)
• Return responsibility
• Acknowledge effort
• Help just enough
• Praise perseverance
Play Skill Number Six:Support Independence and Self- Regulation
through Challenging Tasks Benefits
• Builds frustration tolerance
• Lengthens attention span
• Supports problem solving
• Supports developmentally appropriate autonomy
• Empowering
• Co-regulation